Plant Power: The Humorous Herbalist's Guide to Finding, Growing, Gathering & Using 30 Great Medicinal Herbs

by Laurel Dewey

The Humorous Herbalist's Guide to finding, growing, gathering and using 30 great medicinal herbs. This book describes when to plant seeds, harvesting tips, which parts of the plant are best for medicinal usage and how to preserve herbs for later use. Great reference chart.

422 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Laurel Dewey’s writing career has been anything but predictable. Born in Glendale, California, Dewey began her career working in public relations. Her writing talents quickly took her into other entertainment avenues. As an assistant editor at BOP Magazine in the late 1980's, Dewey helped launch the blockbuster career of teen pop groups, including The New Kids on The Block. During this time, she wrote a string of successful mystery radio plays for Los Angeles public radio networks.

Not satisfied to write in only one genre, Dewey went on to pen a western novella “In the Name of the Land” which was nominated for a Silver Spur Fiction Award. A collection of short stories followed, as did a successful stint writing and producing radio ads and promos.

In the early 1990’s, Dewey relocated to rural Colorado. But her eclectic writing forte continued as she pursued work as a freelance investigative journalist, advertising/marketing promoter and newspaper columnist. In the mid and late 1990’s, two of her books on plant medicine were published, along with 10 booklets and hundreds of articles on alternative health. During this time, she appeared as a featured guest on hundreds of national radio and television programs and lectured extensively across the United States and Canada.

But then the pages turned...literally. In 2007, Dewey released her first fiction novel, PROTECTOR, a gritty, mystical crime thriller that follows the rocky life of damaged Denver homicide detective Jane Perry. In preparation for writing the book, Dewey immersed herself in detailed research, interviewing Colorado homicide detectives and traveling on "ride-a-longs" with street cops. The intricate research helped Dewey create a debut novel that is powerful, compelling, controversial and utterly original.

The sequel to PROTECTOR, REDEMPTION, was released in June of 2009. The third book, REVELATIONS, released in June, 2011. A series of short stories and novellas featuring Detective Jane Perry were published throughout 2011, starting with "An Unfinished Death" which is a prequel to PROTECTOR.

The fourth Jane Perry novel will be published in late 2012.

In keeping with Dewey's ability to push the envelope, she's written a standalone novel, "Betty's (Little Basement) Garden," that is set for release on June 12, 2012. This controversial book will certainly spark many conversations and hopefully enlighten readers at the same time.

Dewey lives with her husband and two orange cats in rural Colorado.

Reviews

[Cherei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher and was just blown away by how in-depth the author researched each and every plant that she chose to write about. The author focuses on thirty plants and tells you everything you will need to know about that plant. From growing them, where to grow them, what their properties are, what ailments they will help the body, how to prepare the plant for use as a medicine or a food. I love that she also acknowledges that some herbs while they have a known healing property.. also make certain dishes just taste better! One of the other items that I appreciated was that the author told you the downside of an herb.. what happens if you overdose or take too much of any one plant. It's the first time I've seen an author tell the reader.. that too much of a good thing.. can be a poison. Most EXCELLENT advice!

She also got me thinking about some studies that have not been done.. but, it would be interesting to see a medical researcher take up a study of the effect of cows eating alfalfa versus cows eating grass and what happens to their milk supply. I grew up in an area where alfalfa was plentiful and often given to cows on dairy farms. It would be interesting to find out.. if part of the "cluster" of certain diseases are prevented naturally by our milk supply.. based on WHERE a person lives.. and what the dairy farmers feed their cows. (Just a thought!)

An extremely well-written book that I'd highly recommend to anyone wanting to know a very detailed account of the thirty herbs that the author chose to highlight in this novel! Well worth your time. Takes a while to read.. but, it's one that is actually meant to be read.. and referenced.. many, many, MANY times over the course of your life!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in a light-hearted and entertaining style, this book is a must for anyone interested in herbalism and/or edible wilds. Dewey covers the basics of shamanistic appreciation for plants for beginners and offers lots of great information on harvesting, medicinal and culinary uses for 30 different plants. Good reading on the couch, good reference in the fields and overall loads of great information!

[Ellen Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight of a book! Covers 30 herbs IN-DEPTH, from finding them in the wild to planting them. Explains in great detail how to make salves, tinctures, teas and more from each herb. My copy is dog-earred and well read and I treasure it. It's out of print now but there are copies available on eBay and such. Some copies are going for upwards of over $200.00! Does that tell you what this book is worth to people in the herb world?

[Wyldviolet · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author is a researcher and journalist, NOT a Herbalist! Therefore this is just a collection of information she gathered from actual practicing Herbalists and gave it her own forced lame humored spin.

If you want a good herbal, buy one written by an expert in that field, oh I don't know, maybe a Herbalist?